ADM-Aeolus
Encyclopedia
ADM-Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus, is an ESA satellite
that is due for launch in 2013.
ADM-Aeolus will be the first equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and will provide much-needed information to improve weather forecasting
.
The Aeolus satellite is an integral part of the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM) that is planned by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the second Earth Explorer Core Mission. The central aim of this mission is to further the knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and weather systems. By recording and monitoring the weather in different parts of the world, Aeolus will allow scientists to build complex models of our environment, which can then be used to help predict how that environment will behave in the future. These predictions will be useful in the short-term, since they can be applied to Numerical Weather Prediction
(NWP) in order to make forecasts more accurate. The mission will thus improve the knowledge of all sorts of weather phenomena, from global warming to the effects of pollution.
The wind-component profiles will be measured by the Aeolus payload, namely the Atmospheric Laser Doppler-Lidar Instrument (Aladin). This is a direct detection Lidar
incorporating a fringe-imaging receiver (analysing aerosol
and cloud backscatter
) and a double-edge receiver (analysing molecular backscatter). The processing of the backscatter signals will produce line-of-sight wind-component profiles above thick clouds or down to the surface in clear air along the satellite track, every 200 km. Wind information in thin cloud or at the tops of thick clouds is also attainable. From the data processing, information on other elements like clouds and aerosols can also be extracted. The data will be disseminated to the main NWP-centres in near-real-time.
ADM-Aeolus is seen as a mission that will pave the way for future operational meteorological satellites dedicated to measuring the Earth's wind fields. The spacecraft is being built by EADS Astrium
.
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
that is due for launch in 2013.
ADM-Aeolus will be the first equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and will provide much-needed information to improve weather forecasting
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
.
The Aeolus satellite is an integral part of the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM) that is planned by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the second Earth Explorer Core Mission. The central aim of this mission is to further the knowledge of the Earth's atmosphere and weather systems. By recording and monitoring the weather in different parts of the world, Aeolus will allow scientists to build complex models of our environment, which can then be used to help predict how that environment will behave in the future. These predictions will be useful in the short-term, since they can be applied to Numerical Weather Prediction
Numerical weather prediction
Numerical weather prediction uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of computer simulation in the 1950s that numerical weather predictions produced realistic...
(NWP) in order to make forecasts more accurate. The mission will thus improve the knowledge of all sorts of weather phenomena, from global warming to the effects of pollution.
The wind-component profiles will be measured by the Aeolus payload, namely the Atmospheric Laser Doppler-Lidar Instrument (Aladin). This is a direct detection Lidar
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
incorporating a fringe-imaging receiver (analysing aerosol
Aerosol
Technically, an aerosol is a suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. Examples are clouds, and air pollution such as smog and smoke. In general conversation, aerosol usually refers to an aerosol spray can or the output of such a can...
and cloud backscatter
Backscatter
In physics, backscatter is the reflection of waves, particles, or signals back to the direction they came from. It is a diffuse reflection due to scattering, as opposed to specular reflection like a mirror...
) and a double-edge receiver (analysing molecular backscatter). The processing of the backscatter signals will produce line-of-sight wind-component profiles above thick clouds or down to the surface in clear air along the satellite track, every 200 km. Wind information in thin cloud or at the tops of thick clouds is also attainable. From the data processing, information on other elements like clouds and aerosols can also be extracted. The data will be disseminated to the main NWP-centres in near-real-time.
ADM-Aeolus is seen as a mission that will pave the way for future operational meteorological satellites dedicated to measuring the Earth's wind fields. The spacecraft is being built by EADS Astrium
EADS Astrium
Astrium Satellites is one of the three business units of Astrium, a subsidiary of EADS. It is a European space manufacturer involved in the manufacture of spacecraft used for science, Earth observation and telecommunication, as well as the equipment and subsystems used therein and related ground...
.
Mission characteristics
- Role: Earth Observation
- Launch date: 2013
- Launch mass: ~1000 kg
- Orbit: sun synchronous dusk-dawn orbit
- Altitude: 408 km
- Nominal duration: 3 years